Chapter 9: Unexpected Moments

Woo-rim hurriedly exited the convenience store, the plastic bag of snacks and drinks clutched tightly in his right hand. When he reached the car, his heart dropped. The car door was wide open, and the little boy who had been sitting in the backseat was nowhere to be seen.

"Ha-neul!" Woo-rim yelled, dropping the plastic bag as panic set in. He frantically scanned the area, looking up and down the street, hoping to catch sight of his nephew. "Where are you?!"

Sweat began to bead on his forehead as he ran around the block, asking passersby if they had seen a little boy wearing a blue jacket. Nobody had any useful information. After what felt like hours—but was only a few minutes—Woo-rim pulled out his phone and dialed his older brother, Moon Woo-seok, the CEO of Starlight Entertainment.

The call connected, and Woo-seok's deep, commanding voice answered, "What is it, Woo-rim? I'm busy."

Woo-rim's voice trembled as he stammered, "Hyung, Ha-neul is missing!"

There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line before Woo-seok barked, "What do you mean missing?! How could you lose him?"

"I... I just went to the convenience store for a second," Woo-rim explained hurriedly, his voice rising. "When I came back, he was gone! I've been looking everywhere, but I can't find him."

"Unbelievable," Woo-seok muttered angrily. "Prepare the bodyguards. I'm sending them to help search. I'll join them if I need to. Don't you dare stop until you find him!"

Woo-rim nodded, even though his brother couldn't see him, and ended the call. He wiped the sweat from his brow and whispered to himself, "Ha-neul, please be safe."

Meanwhile, at the kindergarten, Seo-woo entered the principal's office with a calm but determined expression. He had already dealt with Ha-neul's injuries and reassured the boy, leaving him in the infirmary with the nurse. Now, it was time to address whatever trouble his sons had gotten into.

As he stepped into the room, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Mrs. Kwon, the principal, sat at the center behind her desk, her hands clasped together. On her right were Seo-min and Seo-jin, looking both nervous and defiant, standing beside their homeroom teacher, Mr. Lee Dae-ho. On her left sat a chubby boy, Jae-hoon, flanked by his stern-looking parents.

All eyes turned to Seo-woo as he entered. For a moment, the room was silent, and everyone—except his sons—seemed surprised by his presence.

Mrs. Kwon broke the silence, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Mr. Ryu? We were expecting... well, I assumed the boys' guardian would be an older woman."

Seo-woo offered a polite bow and removed his cap and face mask, revealing his face. "Good morning, Mrs. Kwon. I'm their father, Ryu Seo-woo. I apologize for any inconvenience caused."

Mr. Lee's jaw dropped slightly, recognizing Seo-woo's face from his past fame, though he quickly composed himself. Jae-hoon's parents exchanged puzzled glances, while the chubby boy blinked up at him, momentarily forgetting his arrogance.

Seo-woo looked at his sons, giving them a reassuring nod, before turning to the principal. "May I know exactly what happened?"

Mrs. Kwon adjusted her glasses, her voice firm but fair. "Mr. Ryu, your sons, Ryu Seo-min and Ryu Seo-jin, were involved in a physical altercation with another student, Nam Jae-hoon." She gestured toward the chubby boy. "According to reports, Seo-jin was pushed first, and then Seo-min retaliated. Words were exchanged, and the situation escalated into a fight."

Seo-woo glanced at his sons, his expression a mix of concern and disappointment. "Seo-min, Seo-jin, is this true?"

Seo-min nodded hesitantly. "Jae-hoon said we didn't have a dad... that we must have picked you up somewhere. And then he pushed Seo-jin!"

Seo-jin piped up, his face flushed. "I told him you were our dad, but he wouldn't believe me! He pushed me first!"

Jae-hoon's parents, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. The father crossed his arms and said, "Your sons are clearly aggressive. No matter what words were exchanged, violence is unacceptable."

Seo-woo nodded calmly. "I agree. Violence isn't the answer, and I'll make sure my sons understand that. However..." He turned to Jae-hoon's parents with a steady gaze. "Words can also be harmful, especially when they attack someone's family. I think it's important that all parties involved take responsibility for their actions."

Mrs. Kwon nodded approvingly. "I agree, Mr. Ryu. This situation needs to be resolved constructively."

Before the discussion could continue, a window prompt appeared in front of Seo-woo, startling him slightly.

[New Quest Received]

Quest 1: Defuse the Situation

Objective: Resolve the conflict between Seo-min, Seo-jin, and Jae-hoon in a way that promotes understanding and cooperation.

Reward: +15 Parenting, +10 Charisma

Quest 2: Restore the Triplets' Confidence

Objective: Reassure Seo-min and Seo-jin about their worth and family, and help them overcome the emotional impact of the incident.

Reward: +10 Parenting, +10 Charisma

Seo-woo blinked, quickly dismissing the prompt. He cleared his throat and addressed the room. "Mrs. Kwon, Mr. Lee, and Mr. and Mrs. Nam, I believe we can turn this into a learning opportunity for all the children involved. May I suggest a way to mediate this situation?"

The room fell silent, all eyes on him. Seo-woo took a deep breath, determined to handle the situation calmly and wisely.

Seo-woo cleared his throat and addressed everyone in the room. "I believe children learn best through understanding and empathy. Instead of focusing solely on punishment, I suggest we have the kids apologize to one another and take part in a cooperative activity to rebuild their bond. Perhaps they could work together on a small class project to learn the value of teamwork."

Mrs. Kwon nodded, her stern demeanor softening. "That's an excellent idea, Mr. Ryu. Teaching them accountability and cooperation is important."

Mr. Lee, who had been quietly observing Seo-woo, chimed in, "I agree. This can be a good lesson for all of them."

Jae-hoon's parents exchanged uncertain glances, but after a moment, the father sighed. "Fine. As long as Jae-hoon learns to respect others and avoids any future trouble, we'll go along with this."

With the adults in agreement, Mrs. Kwon turned to the children. "Seo-min, Seo-jin, Jae-hoon—come here. It's time to make amends."

The three children shuffled forward, looking hesitant but obedient. Seo-woo knelt to their level and spoke gently. "Now, I want you all to shake hands and apologize sincerely to one another. It's important to acknowledge our mistakes and forgive each other so we can grow."

The kids hesitated, but one by one, they extended their hands. Seo-min and Seo-jin apologized first, their voices quiet but genuine. Jae-hoon hesitated the longest, glancing back at his parents, who gave him an encouraging nod. Finally, he muttered, "I'm sorry for what I said and did."

The boys shook hands, and just like that, the tension began to melt away.

But then, to everyone's surprise, little Jae-hoon broke into a wide grin and ran over to Seo-woo. "Are you Mr. Ryu Seo-woo, the singer who sings like an angel? Can I have your autograph, please?"

Seo-woo blinked, caught off guard. "My autograph?"

Jae-hoon nodded enthusiastically. "My older sister is a huge fan of yours! She has all your posters on her wall. She'll never believe I met you in person! She was so sad because of what happened to you"

Despite the absurdity of the situation, Seo-woo couldn't help but smile. "Alright, alright. Hand me something to sign."

Jae-hoon eagerly handed over a small notebook, and Seo-woo signed his name with a quick flourish. "There you go."

"Thank you!" Jae-hoon beamed and ran back to his parents, clutching the notebook like a treasure.

Meanwhile, Seo-min and Seo-jin tugged at Seo-woo's pant legs and hugged him tightly. "Dad, you're so cool," Seo-jin murmured, while Seo-min just nodded with a shy smile.

Mr. Lee, who had been silently observing Seo-woo throughout the interaction, spoke up. "Mr. Ryu, I must say, I admire how you handled this situation. It's not every day you see a parent so composed and thoughtful. But, of course, you should always accompany or visit your children at the kindergarten."

Seo-woo chuckled softly. "Thank you, Mr. Lee. Parenting is... a constant learning process, but I try my best. In the past, I was too busy, but now, I have lots of time taking good care of them."

As the situation wrapped up, a familiar window prompt appeared in front of Seo-woo:

[Quest Completed!]

Defuse the Situation

Reward: +15 Parenting, +10 Charisma

Restore the Triplets' Confidence

Reward: +10 Parenting, +10 Charisma

The kids were escorted back to their classroom, the adults bowed to one another in gratitude and apology, and the meeting came to a peaceful close. But before he left, he told them to hide the fact that he was the father of the triplets because it would burden his children due to his haters. He knew that he had a bad reputation when his fame rose. He learned from his mistakes, so he humbly begged them to keep it a secret.

As Seo-woo stepped out of the principal's office, he noticed Ha-neul peeking from behind a nearby wall, his small frame barely visible. The boy's eyes lit up when he saw Seo-woo, but instead of running over, Ha-neul darted away down the hall.

"Ha-neul!" Seo-woo called after him, quickening his pace to follow the boy. Whatever had spooked him, Seo-woo was determined to find out and make things right.

---

[STATUS WINDOW UPDATED]

Name: Ryu Seo-woo

Age: 27

Health Status: Good

Financial Status: Debt Accumulated (2 months rent overdue: need to pay within two weeks with interest, additional personal loans outstanding)

Talent Skills:

· Singing: S+ (Condition to Activate: Completing 50 quests) (8/50)

· Parenting: B-

· Cooking: C+

· Charisma: A-

· Composing: S-